News / Charity band night goes with a bang
A CHARITY fundraiser at the British Legion on Friday night showcased a mixture of superb music from local acts.
Keirynn Topp, Gina Paolo Rich and Los Salty Dogs, The Bashies and The Dirty Lemons eclectic excellence helped add £681 to the funds of Mind Your Head.
It was part of a host of events organised by Anita Georgeson, culminating in her climb of the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro in less than two weeks’ time – an adventure she is paying for herself so all the money goes to charity.
Georgeson has already smashed her £10,000 target, but was thrilled and thankful for the generosity of the crowd who turned out for the gig, plus that of the artists and Stevie Hook and Amanda Pearson on sound.
The youthful Topp, first on stage, proved a notable talent with clear and confident vocals backed by skillful acoustic guitar.
Like the other bands in the lineup he played a variety of covers and self-penned tunes. The covers included such diverse material as A-Ha’s Take On Me, Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and La Bamba.
Gina Paolo Rich and Los Salty Dogs were a very different kettle of (dog) fish. Rich posed a dry humour, branding himself a trans-gender hillbilly. He had, he said, been sneered and spat at in the street, but he was not worried as being a hillbilly was OK and people were expecting to see them all over the place now.
Rich was an accomplished and confident show-woman on stage and expertly backed by the searing fiddle of Angela Fraser, Marty Randle on mandolin and Dave Sjoberg on bass the group performed an accomplished set – difficult to believe it was their first time performing.
A short Tom Waits tune was followed by a Rich original in Cajun style. bluegrass tunes the Stones’ Wild Horses and a “Jimmy Shand” number flowed in quick succession with Nina Simone’s Sinnerman receiving a rare airing.
The last song All The Song Inside of You, was another Rich original which she played solo.
The crowd pleasing Bashies were on next with Jillian Mouat on vocals, Sjoberg taking another turn on bass, brothers Edwin and Ross Irvine on guitars and Archer Kemp on drums.
The band’s distinctive sound came though in the cover versions they perfomed as much as in their own material like Gotta Get Out.
Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, Stuck In The Middle With You and various other covers got the Bashies treatment and for the first time the dance floor started to fill up – the crowd no doubt having slugged a few soda pops by then.
The Dirty Lemons topped the bill opening with Primal Scream’s I’m Yours, Your Mine, followed by Echo Beach then the band’s own anthem Human Barbie.
The Lemons played with their usual anguished verve and kept the crowd boogying till closing time with songs like the Black Crowe’s Hard to Handle and Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell.
Georgeson said later that talking via Messenger with some of the fellow travellors she will be meeting at Kilimanjaro had helped build her confidence in the venture. “They seem like wonderful people”, she said.
One group of 20, who are raising money for a hospice, have been under instruction from a personal trainer geetting in shape for the 19,341foot high dormant volcano.
But Georgeson has her own secret weapon – her friends and family.
She said: “I have been fortunate that I have had fabulous training at Clickimin. I have been on these hikes around Shetland and have had with me my family and friends.
“I had good training with Amy (Cheyne) hiking the big ridge from Scalloway to Bigton.
“One thing I should say is that if you do not walk Shetland then you will never see Shetland – and that is too bad. It’s one thing maybe climbing Kilimanjaro but Shetland is one of the bonniest places in the world.”
Georgeson also recently completed the 110 mile Dingle Way in Ireland with her sister in law Karen and nieces Carrie and Louise.
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